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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246358">Antonio's Call</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dukefan01/pseuds/Dukefan01'>Dukefan01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tiger &amp; Bunny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:01:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dukefan01/pseuds/Dukefan01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On Tomoe's birthday, Antonio calls Barnaby to help get Kotetsu out of the house.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr. &amp; Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu &amp; Antonio Lopez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Antonio's Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Barnaby held his phone, looking at the name flashing on the front, requesting a video call. Antonio Lopez, also known as Rock Bison. In as far back as Barnaby could remember, he never dialed Antonio’s number nor receive a call from him. In fact, the number was only reading on his screen because Kotetsu had insisted on adding all the heroes’ cell numbers to Barnaby’s phone in case he ever needed them. Barnaby wondered why Antonio would be calling now. If there was an emergency, it would be Hero TV or Agnes who called. Barnaby hesitated for a moment longer before hitting the accept button. Antonio’s face filled the screen, the older man smiling in greeting.</p><p>“Hey, Barnaby.” Antonio said, holding up a hand in greeting. Barnaby nodded to show he was listening. “A few of us are going out for some drinks tonight. How about it?” Barnaby frowned in thought. Ever since the Jake Incident, he had been spending more time with the heroes. Part of that was because he no longer had the need to avenge his parents hanging over his head, but mostly it was because Kotetsu made him. Barnaby learned that the heroes hadn’t met as a group until after he officially joined the ranks. It made sense, since that season was Karina, Ivan, and Pao-lin’s first season. Keith had been around for only a few seasons, so he wasn’t as familiar with the others. Antonio and Nathan joined around the same time and had been on the show for well over five years. They were very comfortable around each other and Kotetsu, who had been on the show the longest at ten years. Apparently the latter three hung out quite a few times over their tenure as heroes.</p><p>Barnaby had found that he was content to spend time with the heroes on these events but typically when the heroes were going to get together, they planned ahead by a few days. This was the first time Barnaby received an invitation the day of. He had already made plans for himself tonight. He intended to make a nice dinner and read a book that he had been putting off for some time. “I can’t tonight. Maybe next time.” Barnaby said, trying to decline the offer as politely as he could. Antonio’s smile shifted, taking a more strained look.</p><p>“Oh come on Barnaby, you can come out tonight.” he said. Barnaby felt his frown deepen. He did not appreciate Antonio trying to push the matter. He declined and he was hoping the hero respected him enough to accept that.</p><p>“Not tonight Rock Bison.” Barnaby said, a tone of finality as he said it. Antonio’s smile slipped even more.</p><p>“Barnaby…” he started but Barnaby felt his patience reach its end.</p><p>“I’m hanging up now.”  A few months ago, Barnaby wouldn’t have said anything but just terminated the call. However Kotetsu had been nagging him about the fact that it was incredibly rude and was no way to keep friends. Barnaby had thought about reminding Kotetsu he wasn’t interested in making a lot of friends, but in the end it was just easier to adjust to Kotetsu’s demand then it was to explain the reasoning behind it.</p><p>“It’s for Kotetsu.” Antonio suddenly blurted out, both loud and rushed. Barnaby paused at that. The thing about all the heroes was apart from Barnby, their identities were a secret. To maintain that the heroes had mostly gotten used to only addressing each other by their code names or a variation of. Only Barnaby used Kotetsu’s first name. However, now that he thought about it there were a handful of times he could recall Antonio using Kotetsu’s name, either in situations of extreme stress or times where they were in public and using his hero name would not work. It struck Barnaby with just how familiar the two must be with each other.</p><p>The rest of the sentence settled in Barnaby’s mind and he frowned. Most of the gatherings the heroes had didn’t really have a set purpose. Many of them were just for the sake of ‘developing friendships’ as Kotetsu claimed. However they had done a few birthday’s and important events but none of them had been for Kotetsu before. Barnaby wondered if it was Kotetsu’s birthday. His frown deepened, realizing he should probably know when his partner’s birthday was. “Birthday?” Barnaby found himself asking.</p><p>“Someone’s yes.” Antonio confirmed. Barnaby tilted his head to the side, confused. “Tomoe’s.” Antonio elaborated. Barnaby ran the name through his mind but he couldn’t find anything even remotely familiar about it. Antonio must have seen the confusion on his face and decided to take pity on him. “His wife.” Barnaby recalled that Kotetsu once mentioned that he had a wife who died five years ago due to illness and that he had a nine-year-old daughter. When Kotetsu had mentioned it, he had intentionally ended that sentence with such a finality that none of the heroes dared to ask him for any other details.</p><p>“Today is his late wife’s birthday?” Barnaby asked, just trying to confirm and Antonio nodded. Barnaby felt an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. It was similar to how he felt when he first heard that Antonio and Kotetsu regularly drank together, when Antonio first mentioned that Kotetsu had a daughter, and when he first heard Antonio address Kotetsu by name. Yet it was much stronger now.</p><p>“Hey, what’s with that face?” Antonio asked. Barnaby didn’t know what Antonio was talking about. “Come on man, you know Kotetsu. He’s pretty private, doesn’t tell people about himself.” Barnaby thought about laughing at that, because all Kotetsu did at times was talk about himself. Yet as he thought about it, Barnaby realized he actually didn’t know that much about Kotetsu. All the stuff Kotetsu did tell them was pretty much useless information, almost like a smoke screen keeping any of the heroes from getting into his personal life. It seemed to Kotetsu all the heroes lives were fair game for him to check into but his own was strictly off limits. Well, almost.</p><p>“He told you.” Barnaby was surprised by how much anger and venom he heard in his own voice. He had no idea where that even came from. Antonio looked stunned for a moment before moving closer to the camera.</p><p>“Barnaby…are you…jealous?” Barnaby wanted to bite back that he wasn’t jealous at all, but he realized in a way he was. Kotetsu and Barnaby were partners. Kotetsu practically knew Barnaby’s whole life and helped him avenge his parents. Kotetsu apparently didn’t feel like he could tell Barnaby about himself though. Meanwhile Antonio seemed to know Kotetsu’s whole life and that just wasn’t fair. “Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, but Kotetsu doesn’t tell me anything. I’m pretty sure he tells me less about what is going on then he tells you.” Barnaby actually scoffed.</p><p>“He told you about his wife.” Barnaby said softly. Antonio actually let out a humorless laugh at that.</p><p>“You really are jealous! Kotetsu never told me about his wife, I knew her.” Antonio said. Barnaby felt like that was even worse than Kotetsu telling him about her. Apparently Antonio was important enough for Kotetsu to introduce his wife too while he didn’t even tell Barnaby her name. “Kotetsu and Tomoe went to high school together and I went to the school in the neighboring town. We met while we were all in school and we’ve been friends ever since. We moved out here together and Kotetsu managed to become a hero first. He helped me get a contract a few years later when he became the ‘King of Heroes’.” Antonio explained. Barnaby’s face grew hot in embarrassment. Ivan and Barnaby went to the same school at the Hero Academy but Barnaby was five years older than Ivan. While Ivan knew who Barnaby was, Barnaby never met him and the two didn’t interact. As far as Barnaby knew, that was the closest any of the heroes had been to knowing each other before being contracted. He never imagined the other heroes having a history together and to know Antonio and Kotetsu had been long time friends was unexpected. Barnaby felt a little foolish, getting jealous of the relationship Kotetsu and Antonio had for over ten years while he barley knew Kotetsu for one.</p><p>“Oh.” Was all he could find to say. Antonio shook his head but didn’t comment about it.</p><p>“Kotetsu usually spends today drinking himself silly so I figured if we pulled him out with the other heroes he wouldn’t drink so much. Doesn’t suit the image of a hero very much after all.” Barnaby knew he had a point with that.</p><p>“What about his daughter?” Barnaby couldn’t remember hearing anything about Kotetsu’s daughter outside of the fact she existed.</p><p>“Kaede? She doesn’t live here. She’s back in Kotetsu’s hometown with his mom and older brother.” Antonio said. Barnaby listened intently, storing information away for later.</p><p>“Who else knows?” Barnaby asked.</p><p>“About Kaede? I mean outside of the fact that she exists I’m not really sure. I don’t think anyone else really…” Antonio started.</p><p>“Not Kaede…” Barnaby started, trying to ask who all knew about Tomoe’s birthday.</p><p>“What? You mean me and Kotetsu’s history? Fire Emblem knows but…” Antonio started. Barnaby tried to not roll his eyes.</p><p>“His wife’s birthday.” Barnaby clarified. Antonio looked surprised for a moment.</p><p>“Oh. No one, just the two of us. I didn’t tell the others it was about Kotetsu either. They’d be hovering over him and he’d just get self-conscious and leave. All I did was suggest it’s a good time to get everyone together to Fire Emblem and Sky High and the others just kinda fell in after that.” Antonio said. Barnaby felt oddly touched by that.</p><p>“I see. Where and when should I be there?” Barnaby asked. Antonio was quiet for a moment, looking away as if he was in thought.</p><p>“Actually I was hoping you would be the one to bring him.” Antonio said. Barnaby frowned at that.</p><p>“Me? Shouldn’t you be the one to get him?” Barnaby asked. After all it if was such a sensitive day, Kotetsu would probably rather have an old friend who understood the meaning behind it around. Antonio burst out laughing.</p><p>“Nah. Kotetsu won’t even answer my calls or come to the door if it’s me. It’d be best if you do it. Besides, he never was one to listen to me.” Barnaby scoffed at that.</p><p>“As if he listens to me.” He muttered.</p><p>“Hero Bar, six o’clock. See you guys there.” Antonio terminated the call, surprising Barnaby. He shoot his head and took a moment to collect himself before he started scrolling through his contacts. It didn’t take long to find Kotetsu’s, not having many numbers to begin with and easily recognizing the goofy picture that Kotetsu uploaded into Barnaby’s phone. Back when he first noticed it, he scolded Kotetsu about it but never bothered to remove it. Too much work. Now he was rather fond of it.</p><p>Barnaby hit call and was rather surprised when Kotetsu didn’t answer. Kotetsu had been the one to scold Barnaby about the importance of always answering his phone as he never knows when it’s going to be an emergency. After the call disconnected, he tried a second time. This time it only rang twice before Kotetsu answered it on voice only. “Hey Bunny. Is everything alright?” Kotetsu sounded rough, tired, but fortunately he wasn’t slurring so he wasn’t heavily drinking yet.</p><p>“I was thinking that we could go get dinner tonight.” Barnaby said. He winced, glad Kotetsu couldn’t see him. As far as Kotetsu knew Barnaby had no idea what today was. “A few of the heroes were talking about wanting to go out tonight and…” Barnaby started, not sure what exactly to say.</p><p>“Sorry Bunny, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow?” Kotetsu almost sounded like he was sighing as he said it. Barnaby would have been shocked had he not already been anticipating it.</p><p>“It would really mean a lot if you can Kotetsu.” Barnaby already felt like a horrible person.</p><p>“When and where?” Kotetsu asked. Barnaby had known Kotetsu would agree when he said the previous statement, but he was still surprised by how selfless Kotetsu was. Here was Kotetsu, wishing for a day to be on his own and all it took was one request from Barnaby for him to drop everything. Kotetsu really was a selfless man.</p><p>“I’ll come pick you up. I’ll be there around five forty-five.” Barnaby said. This time he was the one to end the call. Barnaby glanced over at the clock on the end table. He still had some time before he had to leave, meaning he had plenty of time to learn more about his partner.</p>
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